Two moms and three daughters step out of routine to chart new territory

Mom and daughters on the beach.

As I stood staring into the black hole that Atlantis Resort calls the "Leap of Faith" waterslide on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, I knew what I lacked -- faith. Fortunately, my nine-year-old daughter who had brought me to the top of the slide lacked it also.

While the teenagers in our travel party leaped fearlessly into the opening of the waterslide, Kelsey and I shamelessly walked back down the stairs and did some bonding while sharing a tube on the much tamer "Serpent" waterslide.

There was no black hole to leap into and no 18-metre vertical drop, but it was hard not to be just a little excited as our tube passed through a clear tunnel submerged in shark-filled waters.

Relationships are shaped by the experiences you share. Sometimes you have to step out of the familiarity of everyday life into uncharted territory to find real bonding moments.

Mother-daughter bonding is what we were seeking when Kelsey and I set out recently to enjoy five days in the Bahamas on a girls-only getaway with my good friend Patti and her two teenaged daughters Bethany and Alissa.

The plan was simple -- two moms and three daughters spending time exploring Paradise Island, a few of the out islands of the Bahamas, and the capital city of Nassau while cementing mother-daughter ties.

You could spend a week exploring Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, but we had less than two days.

The resort is the largest in the country with 2,000 rooms, a marina, a white sand beach, an enormous casino, gourmet restaurants, designer shops, and a 39-hectare "waterscape" with lagoons, pools, waterfalls, indoor aquariums and outdoor marine habitats that make up the largest man-made marine habitat in the world.

There are shark feedings, sting-ray feedings, and a new dolphin lagoon with animals that were rescued from the Marine Life Oceanarium in Gulfport, Miss., following hurricane Katrina in 2005.

A team of more than 55 specialists look after the marine life at Atlantis Resort. The waterscape with its amazing waterslides and sea creatures was the absolute highlight of our stay.

If you visit Atlantis on a Friday evening, you can't miss the "Junkanoo Rush" at marina village.

It's a lively parade and celebration with costumes, live music, primal drumming and dancing in the streets. It gives you a feel for Bahamian music and culture as it recaptures the annual Boxing Day Junkanoo celebrations that the islands are famous for.

If you want to really challenge your relationship with a pre-teen girl, try keeping her up late for a parade on Friday night and waking her up early Saturday morning.

"Why are we on this vacation?" mumbled my daughter grumpily when I woke her up for our morning flight to the out island of Abaco.

After breakfast and a brief snooze on the airplane, the little horns peeping through her hairline had all but disappeared and she was eager to spend time touring Abaco, Elbow Cay's Hope Town and Guana Cay.

There are 700 islands and cays that make up the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and the less-populated out islands are a sharp contrast to the busy capital city of Nassau.

It doesn't take long to get in touch with the laid back island vibe when you are relaxing in a hammock strung between two palm trees at the edge of a deserted white sand beach rimmed on one side by iridescent turquoise water and on the other by wooden beach houses painted in pastel shades.

Travelling like locals by ferry to tiny islands to visit old lighthouses, quaint villages, great little seafood shacks, and unique shops was entertaining, but the favourite activity for all of us was evaluating the beaches at various islands and cays.

We returned to Nassau for our last two nights at an all-inclusive resort on Cable Beach and we saw the capital city's many attractions, including Government House, Christchurch Cathedral, the famous flamingo show at the Ardastra Gardens Zoo, and swimming with dolphins on nearby Blue Lagoon Island.

Some experiences only come around once in a lifetime, so it's good to share them with someone you love. It's pretty hard not to feel close to someone after you have kissed a dolphin together or stood balancing on one foot together in the middle of a flock of flamingos.

Our mother-daughter vacation provided fantastic stories, amazing memories, and strengthened relationships -- a feat that can be hard to achieve when your regular travel is a rushed car ride between dance recitals and baseball games.

Debbie Olsen is an Alberta-based freelance travel writer and mother of four children

If You Go...

- WestJet and Air Canada fly through Toronto with return flights.

- A night at the Atlantis Resort costs $245 to $425 US for the least costly standard room depending upon travel. Rates go as high as $25,000 per night.

If you are not staying at Atlantis Resort, buy a Discover Atlantis Tour to view the marine habitats For reservations or information, call 1-888-528-7155 or visit: www.atlantis.com.